Neko Atsume: Cat Collector

Like many people, I’m guilty of looking at my phone anytime I need to wait for something. That used to mean I’m checking social media or email. Now I’m usually feeding my cats in Neko Atsume, a beautiful and beguilingly addictive app.

In the world of Neko Atsume, you control a yard. You can buy food and cat gifts that may attract cats to your yard. The cats come and go as they please, and really that’s it. The genius of the app is that it’s clever and simple. You become familiar with some cats and buy new stuff to attract ones you haven’t seen. Much like real cats, they come and go as they please – you just try and glimpse them when they’re around.

There’s never any reason to look at Neko Atsume for more than a couple of minutes at a time, so it doesn’t feel like a time suck, but rather a tiny vacation.